Knockdown extension for use in filling tobacco hogsheads



`lluly 1l, 1950 H. G. BELL. 2,514,988

1 KNocKDowN EXTENSION FOR UsE 1N FILLING ToBAcco HoGsHEADs Filed Sept. 27. 1945 v N14 |i www l?? l l 0 i V |Il I www1" /0 v 0| 0| I la! i I 1N V EN TOR.

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lfatented July 11, 1950 UNITED STAT-Es orti/CE KNooKnoWN EXTENSION ,EoRUSEgIN FrnnrNG TOBACCO :HQLGSHEADS x HarryGuthrie Bell, Paris, Ky.,rassignorb.yzmesne Y assignments -to .Gay-Bell .Qorporation, IBaris, y rKy.,fa corporation ;of Kentucky i `Application September 27, 1945!,"Seria'l No. 618,9@ scia-ins. (eigenem) My present 4invention" has forits object to provide-an extension for hogsheads used for shipping and 4storing ,tobacco whether the .same be of the usual type of barrel construction or of ythe knock-down form.

Another object of my invention is found in the provision of a collapsible extension particularly adapted for use with the knock-down type of hogshead whereby when it is` applied to the open end thereof it will automatically serve to round it out, preliminary to its being filled, into its ultimate circular form. y

To these and other ends my invention comprehends further improvements, all as will be fully described in the accompanying specication, the novel featuresthereof being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an illustration of a knock-down type of hogshead open at its upper end preliminary to being filled.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing an extension embodying my invention applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a view thereof showing the sections in their openy or flat position, and, y

' Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line lx- 4x of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters in the several iigures indicate similar parts.

Tobacco is shipped in hogsheads rst in the undried condition` from the point of purchase. It is then unpacked and dried to the point of desired moisture content and repacked and sent `to storage for aging. Thereafter it is unpacked and steamed and again packed for shipment to the tobacco factories. The hogsheads employed `during these various shippings and intermediate storings are of a rather light Wooden construction, considering their individual loads of upwards of a 1000 pounds, and it is necessary to maintain their circular form which is effected in the first instance and retained upon each revpacking by the introduction of circular barrel heads at each end of the body of the barrel. It is essential therefore that in` the filling operation which follows the insertion of the bottom head that the barrel be rounded out at its upper end and so maintained until the top head is inserted and secured in position.` While this last statement is descriptive of the containers in which the bodies of the barrels are made in one piece, it is equally true if not more applicable to those hogsheads in which the bodies are made in sections to enable them to -be flattened for greater convenience in shipping them unloaded for their return to the -placerof origin.. In 4"such cases it fis Cdesirable A-toaccompany -each lot of hogsheads=with one or more-extension formers which can be used by the subsequent packerA in his filling operations.

Illustrative of the last mentioned type of barrel I have shown one of the knock-down forms in Fig. l composed of staves I bounded with hoops which are made in sections of equal length, the contiguous ends of which are detachably interlocked as by means of hinge members 2, 3, united by a pintle, the removal of which enables the sections of the barrel body composed of the staves connected to the hoop sections, to be flattened. In practice, the connected sections are rounded out at the bottom by the insertion of the circular bottom head of the barrel, but the upper open end may be, and generally is, more or less oval, to correct which I have devised a simple form of extension element which is also a useful aid in the filling operation.

The extension is circular in form and made of staves I0 of a lengthsuffcient to accommodate the required quantity of the bulky tobacco so that when the same is rammed into the hogshead by hydraulic pressure it will be of the required weight. These staves meet at their proximate edges and are bound at their upper and lower edges by hoops II and I2 to which they are riveted. The lower hoop is formed with a, flaring skirt portion which is straight in the area I3 and flares outwardly at I31. This arrangement of the skirt enables it to gather in the ends of the barrel staves and by acting upon them individually serves to gradually bring the top of the barrel into a true circle as the extension is seated so that the staves collectively are properly positioned within the base I3 of said ilange when the extension is fully at rest upon their upper ends.

Where this skirted extension is to be used only at a given position it may be made up in circular form and retained in this shape for an indenite period of use. However, it is contemplated that there may be times when it is desired to transport the extension from place to place to facilitate which I make the hoops I 2 and I3 in two sections of equal length and provide interlocking connections between their meeting ends. For instance, at one side the ends of the hoop sections may each be provided with the cooper@ ating members I4 and I5 of a hinge which are united by a pintle I6. At their opposite extremities one of the hoop sections may have a link Il, operated by a cam lever I8 pivoted on a base plate I9, and adapted to hook over a projection 20 on another base plate 2| attached to the extremity of the other hoop section. When the extension is made in this fashion I make the skirt portion in a plurality of sections, as shown in Fig. 3, each of which is sufficiently long to assure the correct curvature of the extension when it is set up and yet is short enough to allow its sections when disconnected to make a comparatively at package without destroying the arcuate shape of the individual portions of said skirt.

I claim:

l. An extension for use in lling hogsheads of the knock-down variety comprising a cylindrical open-ended body composed of staves with hoops uniting them, the lowermost hoop extending beyond the end of the body and being outwardly ared to form a skirt serving to center the eX- tension on the open end of a hogshead and to bring the end thereof into a circular formation.

2. A knock-down extension for use in lling hogsheads comprising an open-ended body composed of staves united by hoops divided into sections detachable interlocking `connections between the ends of said hoop sections, the lowermost hoop having integral segmental skirt sections extending beyond the end of said body and flaring outwardly and serving when the body is assembled to center it upon the open end of a hogshead and to lcause the latter to assume a circular formation.

' i HARRY GUTHRIE BELL.

REFERENCES CITED n The following references are of record in the le of this'patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

